Start Here

Start here

If you’re dealing with credit or debt problems, you’re probably stressed, short on time, and tired of websites trying to sell you something. This page is a calm first hour: what to do, in what order, and what can actually hurt you if you wait.

1. Breathe. This is fixable, and you have rights.

   Federal law gives you specific, enforceable rights: the FCRA covers your credit reports, and the FDCPA covers how collectors may treat you. Millions of people work through collections, lawsuits, and bankruptcy every year — none of it makes you a bad person, and none of it is hopeless.

2. Get your actual credit reports — free, from the official source.

   Go to AnnualCreditReport.com — the only federally authorized source — and pull all three reports (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion). They’re free weekly. Don’t pay a site that ranks above the official one.

3. Sort your situation by urgency, not by stress.

   Lawsuit or garnishment → days. Debt validation notice → the 30-day window matters. Credit report errors and rebuilding → weeks and months, on your schedule. Use Find Your Situation to get routed in under a minute.

4. Start a paper trail today.

   One folder (physical or digital): every letter, envelope, email, and a log of every call — date, time, company, person, what was said. In credit and debt disputes, the person with the paper trail usually wins. Our call log template makes this easy.

5. Learn before you pay anyone — including collectors.

   Small payments can restart the clock on old debt in some states; credit repair companies can’t do anything you can’t do yourself for free; and some “relief” programs make things worse. Fifteen minutes in the right hub below can save you real money.